Open Society Foundations, Ford and the Rockefeller Foundation Pledge Initial $5M For Battered Puerto Rico
Three major U.S.-based foundations on Wednesday pledged an initial $5 million to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria, including the creation of an advisory commission to help guide reconstruction efforts.
The announcement by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation comes nearly two months after the Category 4 storm destroyed tens of thousands of homes and killed at least 55 people across the U.S. territory.
"We have to reimagine how we're going to rebuild," said Miguel Soto-Class, founder and president of a local think tank, Center for a New Economy, and co-chairman of the commission.
The commission will have up to 25 experts as members who will submit a report by early next year on where and how federal and nonprofit funds should be spent, he said. Efforts will focus on sectors including energy, economic development, infrastructure, education and migration...